A recent article in industry publication CorpComms Magazine has highlighted an arguably unexpected example of social media best practice. Maersk Line is a container shipping company, and while you may not expect they’d have much use for social media, the company has found a way to reap many benefits.

Maersk is present on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn. The company is even using Instagram. While only 15-17% of Maersk’s one million Facebook ‘likes’ come care of its customers, by looking beyond sales Maersk is creating a leading example of how to engage online. Here are some of the key tips we’ve taken from them:

  • Always remember that Social media is about communicating, not marketing – the mantra of the man behind Maersk’s magic, Jonathan Wichmann.
  • Vary your content. Maersk posts pictures, maps, blogs and more through its social networks, creating an authentic, personable presence.
  • Remain relevant to your audience AND your brand. Maersk has carefully considered how its activities may be interesting to others. Maps of its ships’ paths are just one of the simple things that the public will have a genuine interest in.
  • Involve your audience. Maersk’s Instagram activity involves asking users to share pictures of washed up containers on beaches etc. Maersk can then identify if it belongs to them and arrange to go and fetch it. With 18 containers lost every year, there’s something appealing about being the person who finds one!
  • Social media isn’t just about customers or sales. Other benefits can include better press coverage, employee engagement, brand awareness and even a broader insight into your own industry.
  • Don’t shy away from the negatives – address them and explain them. If you don’t someone else will. For example, when one of Maersk’s ships hit and killed a whale they explained it through a Q&A article, and let others know how sad they were about the event. The reaction? Readers empathised with Maersk instead of blaming them. And the article was shared multiple times across multiple platforms.

The above may sound simple, but in reality some of these tips are hard to follow. The first place to start is to find out what matters to your audience so that you can shape your strategy around them. If you’d like help with creating an effective content strategy, we think we can help. Contact Stratton Craig today to speak to one of our team.

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